House of Peers( Lenovo)
The Imperial House of Peers is the upper house of the Senate of the Lenovan Empire. Membership is granted respectively ruled by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Deputies, it meets in the Palace of Jeylon Officially, the full name of the house is the Right Honorable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the Lenovan Empire and its dominions of Pandora, Genovia, the Daxam, Almora, Ilvar and the Elmar in Senate assembled. Membership is based on the hereditary right of the nobility and the appointment of its members by the Emperor. The house of peers votes and debate all bills, but only bills concerning the nobility and imperial succession originate in the house of peers. The composition of the House of peers consists of the 100 members ,64 established hereditary noble families, 12 representatives of the Church of Lenovo appointed by the Archbishop of Kandor, the 12 great houses and the 12 archdukes of the Imperial family. Powers and compensation The house of peers votes and debate all bills, but only bills concerning the nobility and imperial succession originate in the house of peers. As the upper chamber of the Senate, the house of peers has several powers of advice and consent which are shares with the house of deputies.These include the approval of treaties, and the confirmation of Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, federal judges, flag officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors, other federal executive officials and other federal uniformed officers. In addition to these, in cases wherein no candidate receives a majority of electors for Vice Chancellor, the duty falls to the House of Peersto elect one of the top two recipients of electors for that office. Furthermore, the house of peers has the responsibility of conducting the trials of those impeached by the House Of Deputies the annual salary of each senator, since 2890, is $174,000;25 the president pro tempore and lord speaker receives 200,000$. Legislative functions and procedure Legislation, with the exception of money bills, may be introduced in either House. The House of Peers debates legislation, and has power to amend or reject bills. However, the power of the Peers to reject a bill passed by the House of Deputies is heavily strengthened by the Senate Acts. Under those Acts, all types of bills must be presented for the Imperial with the consent of the House of Peers . The House of Peers cannot delay a money bill (a bill that, in the view of the Speaker of the House of Commons, solely concerns national taxation or public funds) for more than one month. The House of Peers and the House of Commons assemble in the Palace of Jeylon. The Peers Chamber is lavishly decorated, in contrast with the more modestly furnished Deputies Chamber. Benches in the Peers Chamber are colored red. The Woolsack is at the front of the Chamber; the majority party sit on benches on the right of the Woolsack, while members of the Opposition sit on the left. Crossbenchers, sit on the benches immediately opposite the Woolsack. In the House of Peers, members need not seek the recognition of the presiding officer before speaking, as is done in the House of Deputies. If two or more Peers simultaneously rise to speak, the House decides which one is to be heard by acclamation, or, if necessary, by voting on a motion. Often, however, the Leader of the House will suggest an order, which is thereafter generally followed. Speeches in the House of Peers are addressed to the House as a whole ("My Lords") rather than to the presiding officer alone (as is the custom in the Lower House). Members may not refer to each other in the second person (as "you"), but rather use third person forms such as "the noble Duke", "the noble archduke", "the noble Lord", "my noble friend", "The most Reverend bishop", etc. Each member may make no more than one speech on a motion, except that the mover of the motion may make one speech at the beginning of the debate and another at the end. Speeches are not subject to any time limits in the House; however, the House may put an end to a speech by approving a motion "that the noble Lord be no longer heard". It is also possible for the House to end the debate entirely, by approving a motion "that the Question be now put". This procedure is known as Closure, and is extremely rare. Once all speeches on a motion have concluded, or Closure invoked, the motion may be put to a vote. The House first votes by voice vote; the Lord Speaker or Deputy Speaker puts the question, and the Lords respond either "content" (in favor of the motion) or "not content" (against the motion). The presiding officer then announces the result of the voice vote, but if his assessment is challenged by any Lord, a recorded vote known as a division follows. Members of the House enter one of two lobbies (the content lobby or the not-content lobby) on either side of the Chamber, where their names are recorded by clerks. At each lobby are two Tellers (themselves members of the House) who count the votes of the Lords. The Lord Speaker may not take part in the vote. Once the division concludes, the Tellers provide the results thereof to the presiding officer, who then announces them to the House. If there is an equality of votes, the motion is decided according to the following principles: legislation may proceed in its present form, unless there is a majority in favor of amending or rejecting it; any other motions are rejected, unless there is a majority in favor of approving it. The quorum of the House of Peers is just 25 members for a general or procedural vote, and 51 members for a vote on legislation. If fewer than 70 members (as appropriate) are present, the division is invalid. Officers The reform of the post of Lord Speaker was made due to the perceived constitutional anomalies inherent in the role. The Lord Speaker was not only the Speaker of the House of Peers, but also a member of the Cabinet; his or her department, now called the Department of Justice. The Lord Speaker is no longer the head of the judiciary of Lenovo and Pandora. The Lord Speaker may be replaced as presiding officer by one of his or her deputies. The Chairman of Committees, the Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees, and several Chairmen are all deputies to the Lord Speaker, and are all appointed by the House of Peers itself at the beginning of each session. By custom, the Crown appoints each Chairman, Principal Deputy Chairman and Deputy Chairman to the additional office of Deputy Speaker of the House of Peers. There was previously no legal requirement that the Lord Speaker or a Deputy Speaker be a member of the House of Peers(though the same has long been customary). Whilst presiding over the House of Lords, the Lord Chancellor traditionally wore ceremonial black and gold robes. Robes of black and gold are now worn by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in the House of Commons, on ceremonial occasions. This is no longer a requirement for the Lord Speaker except for State occasions outside of the chamber. The Speaker or Deputy Speaker sits on the Woolsack, a large red seat stuffed with wool, at the front of the Lords Chamber. When the House of Peers resolves itself into committee (see below), the Chairman of Committees or a Deputy Chairman of Committees presides, not from the Woolsack, but from a chair at the Table of the House. The presiding officer has little power compared to the Speaker of the House of Deputies. He or she only acts as the mouthpiece of the House, performing duties such as announcing the results of votes. This is because, unlike in the House of Deputies where all statements are directed to "Mr./Madam Speaker", in the House of Lords they are directed to "My Lords"; i.e., the entire body of the House. The Lord Speaker or Deputy Speaker cannot determine which members may speak, or discipline members for violating the rules of the House; these measures may be taken only by the House itself. Unlike the politically neutral Speaker of the House of Deputies. Another officer of the body is the Leader of the House of Peers, a peer selected by the Monarch. The Leader of the House is responsible for steering Government bills through the House of Peers. The Leader also advises the House on proper procedure when necessary, but such advice is merely informal, rather than official and binding. A Deputy Leader is also appointed by the Monarch, and takes the place of an absent or unavailable leader. The Clerk of the Senate is the chief clerk and officer of the House of Peers (but is not a member of the House itself). The Clerk, who is appointed by the Crown, advises the presiding officer on the rules of the House, signs orders and official communications, endorses bills, and is the keeper of the official records of both Houses of Parliament. Moreover, the Clerk of the Senate responsible for arranging by-elections of hereditary peers when necessary. The deputies of the Clerk of the Senate(the Clerk Assistant and the Reading Clerk) are appointed by the Lord Speaker, subject to the House's approval. The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod is also an officer of the House; he takes his title from the symbol of his office, a black rod. Black Rod (as the Gentleman Usher is normally known) is responsible for ceremonial arrangements, is in charge of the House's doorkeepers, and may (upon the order of the House) take action to end disorder or disturbance in the Chamber. Black Rod also holds the office of Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Peers, and in this capacity attends upon the Lord Speaker. The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod's duties may be delegated to the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod or to the Assistant Serjeant-at-Arms. Membership Unlike the elected House of Deputies, most new members of the House of Peers are appointed. Membership of the House of Peers is made up of: # the appointed Archdukes of the ruling House of Blake-Dorneham # the Lenovan prince bishops of princely rank (similar to the Lords Spiritual of the United Kingdom) # the hereditary peers appointed by the monarch( the seat is entitled to the family unless convicted of treason or resignation of the seat) # Lenovan citizens appointed for life by the emperor for their services to the state or church, science or art (considered life peers) There are a number of spiritual peers who sit in the House by virtue of their ecclesiastical role in the established Church of Lenovo, as well as the Pandoran Saurian Church. Beside the archdukes of the imperial family, the entitled secular nobles make up the rest of the membership; of these, the majority are hereditary peers. A smaller number of life peers are appointed by the monarch on the nominal advice of the Imperial Advisory Council, or on the advice of the House of Peers Appointments Commission. Membership is a birthright of all hereditary peers. The number of members is not fixed, though a law enacted in 1207 decreed that the category of life peers shall comprise at least 100 and no more than 150 seats. Qualifications Several different qualifications apply for membership of the House of Peers. No person may sit in the House of Peers if under the age of 18.Furthermore, only Lenovan, Pandoran and Dominion citizens may sit in the House of Peers. The nationality restrictions were previously more stringent: under the Act of Pandora 1501, and prior to the Lenovan Nationality Act 2048, only natural-born subjects qualified. Additionally, some bankruptcy-related restrictions apply to members of the Upper House. A person may not sit in the House of Peers if he or she is the subject of a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order (applicable in Pandora and Ilvar only).A final restriction bars an individual convicted of high treason from sitting in the House of Peers until completing his or her full term of imprisonment. An exception applies, however, if the individual convicted of high treason receives a full pardon. Note that an individual serving a prison sentence for an offence other than high treason is not automatically disqualified. Women were excluded from the House of Peers until the Life Peerages Act 2058, passed to address the declining number of active members, made possible the creation of peerages for life. Women were immediately eligible and four were among the first life peers appointed. However, hereditary peeresses continued to be excluded until the passage of the Peerage Act 2063. Removal from House Membership Traditionally there was no mechanism by which members could resign or be removed from the House of Peers . The Peerage Act 2063 permitted a person to disclaim their newly inherited peerage (within certain time limits); this meant that such a person could effectively renounce their membership of the Lords. The House of Peers Reform Act 2089 made provision for members' resignation from the House, removal for non-attendance, and automatic expulsion upon conviction for a serious criminal offence (only if convicted of treason). In June 2090, under the House of Peers (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2090,65 the House's Standing Orders may provide for the expulsion or suspension of a member upon a resolution of the House. Composition Spiritual members According to the 1261 February Patent and its 1267 amendments, 12 members of the Lenovan clergy sit in the House of Peers, regardless of their religious denomination: * the 6 bishops of the Church of Lenovo appointed by the Archbishop of Kandor * the Saurian Church of Pandora 6 bishops appointed by the head Saurian Hereditary members 64 families have hereditary membership in the House of Peers. These are the 64 Vicsountal families and the 12 original ducal families entitled to hereditary membership: Schlik, Lodron, Hardegg, Montecuccoli, Thurn und Valsassina, Buquoy, Tarnowski, Althann, Czernin, Waldstein, Thun, Attems, Des Fours, Herberstein, Goldstein, Ungnad von Weißenwolff, Vetter, Traun, Brandis, Trapp, Serényi, Sternberg, Kaunitz, Lamberg, Kolowrat, Hoyos, Kinský, Falkenhayn, Goëss, Kálnoky, Wratislaw, Zierotin, Podstatzky, Haugwitz, Potocki, Gołuchowski, Lanckoroński, Lewicki, Westphalen, Mensdorff, Miniscalchi, Papafava, Meran, Badeni, Colleoni, Venier, Vrints, Fünfkirchen, Widmann-Sedlnitzky, Dobrženský, Walterskirchen, Gudenus, Sedlnitzky, Ludwigstorff, and Wassilko von Serecki The 12 Imperial Archdukes of the House of Peers and their respective territoial designations. # Archduchy of Kasnia # Archduchy of Lichtenberg # Archduchy of Asberry # Archduchy of Kalbitz # Archduchy of Caprica # Archduchy of Markovia # Archduchy of Cladsbourough # Archduchy of Spintzer # Archduchy of Alberia # Archduchy of Lemoyne # Archduchy of Bradford # Archduchy of Latveria Procedure and Discipline Disciplinary powers By contrast with the House of Deputies, the House of Peers has not until recently had an established procedure for putting sanctions on its members. When a cash for influence scandal was referred to the Committee of Privileges in January 2219, the Leader of the House of Lords also asked the Privileges Committee to report on what sanctions the House had against its members. After seeking advice from the Prosecutor General of Lenovo and the former Lord Speaker James Viscount Roberts, the committee decided that the House "possessed an inherent power" to suspend errant members, although not to withhold a writ of summons nor to expel a member permanently. Recent changes have expanded the disciplinary powers of the House. Section 3 of the House of Peers Reform Act 2214 now provides that any member of the House of Peers convicted of a crime and sentenced to imprisonment for more than one year loses their seat. The House of Peers (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2215 allows the House to set up procedures to suspend, and to expel, its members. Regulation of behavior in the chamber There are two motions which have grown up through custom and practice and which govern questionable conduct within the House. They are brought into play by a member standing up, possibly intervening on another member, and moving the motion without notice. When the debate is getting excessively heated, it is open to a member to move "that the Standing Order on Asperity of Speech be read by the Clerk". The motion can be debated, but if agreed by the House, the Clerk of the Senate will read out Standing Order 33 which provides "That all personal, sharp, or taxing speeches be forborne". The Journals of the House of Peers record only four instances on which the House has ordered the Standing Order to be read since the procedure was invented in 1871.75 For more serious problems with an individual Lord, the option is available to move "That the noble Lord be no longer heard". This motion also is debatable, and the debate which ensues has sometimes offered a chance for the member whose conduct has brought it about to come to order so that the motion can be withdrawn. If the motion is passed, its effect is to prevent the member from continuing their speech on the motion then under debate. The Journals identify eleven occasions on which this motion has been moved since 2884; four were eventually withdrawn, one was voted down, and six were passed. Attendance allowance Members of the House of Peers can, since 2210, opt to receive a $1500 per day attendance allowance, plus limited travel expenses. Peers can elect to receive a reduced attendance allowance of £$50 per day instead. Prior to 2010 peers from outside Kandor could claim an overnight allowance of $174.